MOSCOW - RUSSIA's upper house of parliament on Wednesday voted to extend presidential terms, a spokesman told AFP, in a move that has prompted speculation about Vladimir Putin's return to the presidency.

The bill, which would amend the constitution to increase presidential terms from four to six years, 'was approved' by a majority of 144 out of 166 members of the Federation Council voting in favour, the spokesman said.

One senator voted against and none abstained. The remaining senators were absent from the session.

President Dmitry Medvedev proposed the change earlier this month and the bill has already been rushed through the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, in a haste that has raised suspicion among Kremlin critics.

Some political analysts say that the constitutional reform could be used as a justification for holding an early presidential election in which Mr Putin, the current prime minister who is still very popular, could run again.

The bill now has to be approved by two-thirds of Russia's regional legislatures in what is seen as a foregone conclusion. It must then be voted on by the Federation Council a second time and signed into law by Mr Medvedev.

The bill's supporters say the approval process will take around a month. If passed, the amendments will be the first changes to Russia's post-Soviet constitution since its adoption under former president Boris Yeltsin in 1993. -- AFP